December always brings a flood of year-end music coverage, so-called “Wrapped” playlists and vast lists of the songwriters and sounds of the year. But our list aims to strike a more finite target, with our contributors from WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times and sister station Vocalo combing through all of the local releases of the year to highlight the best in Chicago music.
This list of 12 projects, in particular, prioritizes local up-and-comers — some of whose names you may not know yet, but likely will. In most cases, we’ve tried to give listeners a toehold into an album by picking a great song for a single listen.
While our picks run the gamut of Chicago’s many diverse musical styles – from hip-hop to indie folk, punk to industrial – one thing that ties all these artists together is a strong sense of personal or artistic evolution. We can’t think of any better message to take us into 2026.
FACS
“Wish Defense” (Trouble in Mind, Feb. 7)
“Wish Defense” already had significant lore surrounding it before the record was released. It will forever be known as the final album engineered by Steve Albini before his unexpected death in 2024. And, truthfully, there’s a sense that Albini probably wouldn’t have had it any other way than by bookending his career with one of the finer amalgamations of the city’s experimental rock hub he pushed forward.
FACS (est. 2017) originally grew out of the ashes of Disappears, as Brian Case, Noah Leger and Jonathan Van Herik successfully forged ahead with their post-punk daydreams. What’s distinctive about this FACS album though is Van Herik’s return — the guitarist left the trio in 2018 before the band even got its wheels fully greased. But now back and migrating over to bass, Van Herik has given the group a dose of fresh energy as heard on the brooding opener “Talking Haunted.” As it disintegrates into the noisy guts of “Desire Path,” the album renews the band’s rank about town. – Selena Fragassi
Horsegirl
“Phonetics On and On” (Matador, Feb. 14)
It’s often said that a change of scenery is all that’s needed to get fresh perspective. Horsegirl is living proof. Since the Matador debut “Versions of Modern Performance” stopped the music industry in its tracks in 2022 (also ending up on a number of best of lists), this trio had led the charge of a youth wave of experimental noisemakers in Chicago. In the interim, New York City came calling and lured band members for university studies there. Their newest release shows they’ve settled into the city’s selective music hub, too, drawing comparisons to The Velvet Underground.
While the spirit of shoegaze and post-punk is still alive in these 11 tracks, Horsegirl also takes more liberties in its sound, eschewing the idea that this trio would ever be one-trick ponies. The sparse melodies on “Where’d You Go” and “2468” find strength in letting the music breathe as it evolves, helped with instrumental support from violins, synths and acoustic guitars. As the world of music remains wide open for Horsegirl, we’ll always be proud to say this group started here first. – SF
Half Gringa
“Cosmovisión” (Teleférico Records, March 28)
As stories of immigrants took on new weight in 2025, Half Gringa’s voice rang out amid a darkening landscape. The project of Isabel Olive, a multi-talented artist, Half Gringa has often roots her work in the experience of growing up in middle America with her Venezuelan mother and American father and finding intersections that exist.
The cover art of her latest haunting folk charmer “Cosmovisión” exemplifies this idea: a red moon sitting stark against the dark blues of sky and water where the world seems to converge. Like listening to the 10 deeply introspective tracks, the artwork offers an invitation to look beyond the horizon we think we see. The album sets an explorative tone early on with the lush intro, “Anywhere You Find Me,” a pensive overture with strings and horns and bilingual poetry. It continues through mythical songs such as “Glacier Walker” and “What’s the Word” that serenade with symphonies of keys, guitar, cello, violin and trumpet, sounding like the score for a life story that needs to be told. – SF
Dreamer Isioma
“StarX Lover” (April 4)
Dreamer Isioma’s unique sound and genre-blending music captivates audiences. This year the Nigerian American musician, who uses they/he pronouns, released a third solo album, “StarX Lover,” which fuses rock, alternative, pop and 2010s punk influences to form a sound they describe as “Afropop rock.”
“Shout-out the whole pop-punk era,” said Isioma in an interview with Vocalo earlier this year. “I was trying to evoke that energy but make it more myself, make it more Black, make it more new and sound like you’re going to a new planet type of vibe.”
The 15-track album induces a wide variety of emotions. For Isomia, “Why Must Everyone Die” in particular stands out. “It’s kind of a heart-wrencher; it’s very real,” the musician said. “I think it’s my rawest track on the project — even though, sonically, it is different than, I would say, every other track.” Interludes and all, this is an album deserving of a full listen. – Nudia Hernandez
Pixel Grip
“Percepticide: The Death of Reality” (Self-Released, June 12)
Pixel Grip’s music is so good, some are inclined to steal it. A month after Chicago’s dark wave trio unleashed their slick third album, “Percepticide: The Death of Reality,” they called out rapper Travis Scott for pilfering a sample of their early song “Pursuit” without permission. No official resolution has been publicly shared, but the verdict is clear: Pixel Grip has absolutely leveled up in 2025.
New tracks like the sex positive breakdown “Stamina” and mouthy “Reason to Stay” come alive with pulverizing beats and an electro sheen, carrying on the legacy of Chicago’s industrial playpen, while the moody fever of “Jealousy Is Legal” fits into the modern zeitgeist of dark pop. Other bangers like “Split” sound like they could be a Nine Inch Nails collaboration, which could happen in the future if Trent Reznor meeting up with the band at the United Center in August is any indication. – SF
Natalie Bergman
“My Home Is Not in This World” (Third Man Records, July 18)
Listening to Natalie Bergman’s work often feels like a spiritual journey. But where her 2021 solo debut “Mercy” turned to gospel and hymnals to help ease the pain after losing her father and stepmother in a 2019 car accident, Bergman’s latest release captures the powerful moment when grief turns to hope.
The singer-songwriter examines this evolution best on the album’s soulful climax “Changes,” with its emotional grip holding on long after the song is over. In the span of her two solo albums, Bergman changed too; she became a wife and mother and let life inspire art in a new way, as heard on the tender lullaby “Song for Arthur” (named for her son) and the retro organ pump of “I’ll Be Your Number One.”
There’s also an homage to her family band Wild Belle with a familiar calypso whimsy on “Dance” that further elevates the album’s mood. With “Home,” Bergman’s message is clear: Music heals. – SF
Chance the Rapper
“Star Line” (Aug. 15)
It’s hard to believe that, with all of his success, “Star Line” is only Chance the Rapper’s second studio album. Fans waited six years for this project to drop. Its title references Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Line, a Black-owned steam ship line with plans to bring goods and Black Americans back to Africa in 1919; the project also inspired the name of the free music festival in Ghana that Chance and Vic Mensa founded in 2023.
In an interview that year with Vocalo, Chance described taking pride in the project as a work-in-progress. “All these amazing, important Black artists, producers, painters, all of these people that are in the Pantheon of Black iconography have been coming and helping me build this project,” he said.
Chance continues to make Chicago fans proud with the 17 track album, while sonically makes us feel like we are at the coolest backyard Chicago party. “Back to the Go,” featuring Mensa, gives us the duo we love while feeling very Chicago alternative rock. The city’s beloved Jamilia Woods, a frequent collaborator, always draws us in and does so her feature on “No More Old Men,” which the rapper has said is his favorite track off the project. My favorite hype single on the album, “Drapetomania,” features BabyChiefDoit and gives us all the range we love from a Chance album. Other Chicago appearances are made by Smino, BJ the Chicago Kid, Dexter “DEXLVL” Coleman, Nico Segal, Peter CottonTale and Nate Fox.
With this album, Chance reminds us that no matter how far fame takes him, he will always come back home to Chicago. – NH
Case Oats
“Last Missouri Exit” (Merge Records, Aug. 22)
Debut albums aren’t supposed to have this much grace. Casey Gomez Walker has created an early masterwork with her first shot out of the gate on “Last Missouri Exit,” an indie folk beauty that fits in with the great storyteller traditions of John Prine and Neil Young.
The 10-song standout started as an exercise in Gomez Walker’s creative writing and journalism classes at Columbia College, where she explored a coming-of-age tale of love lost and lessons gained on paper. Over time, the project turned melodic after she met her musical and romantic partner Spencer Tweedy (son of Jeff Tweedy, whose 2025 triple album “Twilight Override” also gets an honorable spot on this list). As a producer on the album, the younger Tweedy’s careful hand lets Gomez Walker’s lyrics shine on the eloquent “Buick Door” and the uplifted “In A Bungalow” as an underbelly of fiddle, pedal steel, organ, drums and guitars provide the perfect soundtrack for her Midwest sojourn. – SF
m.e.h.
“It’s All Starting to Make Sense Now” (Independently released, Sept. 5)
This debut EP from artist Megan Hammond, who calls herself m.e.h., builds an ethereal universe over seven songs with “It’s All Starting to Make Sense Now,” released independently and created in collaboration with producer and songwriter Matt Sterling.
Throughout, the 25-year-old artist commands the spotlight, complementing her soulful textured vocals with free-flowing instrumentals. Hammond has said the project is an internal exploration that allows her to embrace the good with the bad and find self-love on the other side. A rising star in both music and fashion, m.e.h. has a roster of creative powerhouses she works with regularly, including hair artist Bintou Diallo (a.k.a. Gripgodd), album-cover-photographer Leah Wellman, manager Karina Hernandez and makeup artist Amy Ike. Standouts include “You Got Me Like” and “Fly.” – Morgan Ciocca
kaicrewsade
“Joint4u!” (Classicks Never Die, Sept. 17)
Kaicrewsade may be a newer face on Chicago’s rap scene, but he’s quickly become a familiar one — from recording his 2021 debut EP “Steve’s Demo” in his car to taking the stage at Lollapalooza and joining Saba on his European tour this year. The 23-year-old is known for his Chicago-influenced jazzy rap, and the album is filled with classic jazz instrumentals underneath his quick flows and references to the city.
He’s already racked up collaborations with Chicago stalwarts including Nico Segal, Jamila Woods, theMIND, femdot., The O’My’s, Frsh Waters and Senite, and he’s only getting started. – MC
Makaya McCraven
Four EPs: “Techno Logic,” “The People’s Mixtape,” “Hidden Out!” and “PopUp Shop” (International Anthem, October)
The renowned Rogers Park drummer and Beat Scientist returned this year with a tour de force in the form of four EPs, released physically on Oct. 10 and on streaming services across several days at the end of October. McCraven took recordings of past live performances — some from 2025, some from a decade ago — and layered new elements on top for an entirely new sound. WBEZ described the EPs as “musical time capsules.” Keep your ears open to hear contributions from fellow Chicago jazz fixtures such as bassist Junius Paul, guitarist Jeff Parker and trumpeter Marquis Hill. – MC
Whitney
“Small Talk” (AWAL, Nov. 7)
In most scenarios, “Small Talk” is the place relationships go to die. For Whitney, it’s the place where bandmates, roommates and friends Max Kakacek and Julien Ehrlich strengthened their bond.
The acclaimed duo’s latest album is a musical tour de force that sits among their best works. It’s a triumphant reintroduction after 2022’s “Spark,” a mid-career fizzle that happened during the band’s stylistic departure into the pop canon. Three years later, Whitney is back doing what they do best, curating sweeping love songs in the time-honored tradition of ’70s soft rock.
Ehrlich’s falsetto is hauntingly coaxing on songs like “Dandelions” and the piano mourner “Silent Exchange” while a guest spot from Grammy-winning Americana singer Madison Cunningham adds the piece de resistance to “Evangeline.” By album ender “Darling,” the soulful melody is the perfect bow on the whole package, sending Whitney off on their way to keep talking and creating. – SF